Commissioners angle for fish pond upgrades

Josh Letcher, Lincoln County commissioner from Eureka, said he has heard more from his constituents about the defunct fishing pond near Eureka than about any other issue since taking office roughly a year ago.

Letcher spoke during a Jan. 29 board of commissioners meeting in Libby when he and others consulted with a Kalispell-based engineer about seeking grant funding from the state’s wildlife agency to bring the pond back to life.

The pond was first constructed in 2002 and stocked with fish in 2004.

It has received rainbow and cutthroat trout through the years, said Brian Stephens, a Libby-based fisheries biologist for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

He said the pond’s liner began to fail in 2015 and that stocking stopped after 2016.

The pond is located at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds outside of Eureka.

Lincoln County plans to apply for grant funding from Fish, Wildlife and Parks that would pay for a new, more heavy-duty plastic liner for the pond. The estimated cost for the liner is about $26,000.

As envisioned, the county’s road department would play a key role. Its pond-related work would include laying a base of sand to protect the bottom of the new liner from punctures and similar work to protect the liner’s top.

The road department’s involvement, including labor and materials, would be considered an in-kind contribution, with an estimated market value of about $60,000 if a private contractor performed the work.

Commissioner Jerry Bennett said the road department has materials on hand that could be used for the pond. He noted that the department’s funding comes from timber receipts and Secure Rural Schools funding from the Forest Service.

Engineer Mike Fraser, who consults with the county, told commissioners that the existing liner was thin and installed atop gravel. He said the new liner, if installed as specified, should be good for 20 years.

Stephens said the first pond resulted from collaboration between Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the Lincoln County Fair Board. The wildlife agency contributed $22,300 to buy construction materials and made an additional in-kind contribution of $4,300 for personnel to plan, design and install pond infrastructure, he said.

The previous pond was open to all. But anglers who were 15 years old or older were expected to release their catch.

Both Libby and Troy have fish ponds.

Letcher said that — if the state agency approves the county’s application for grant funding — he hopes the pond could be open for fishing this summer.